Feeding agitator



Aug.- 12 1'924,

E. R. DRAVER FEEDING AGITATOR Filed nec. 1e. 1921 b. Nm@

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n, ww WN Patented Aug. 1 2, 1924.

' UNITED STATES 1,504,543 PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL R. DBAVER, 0F RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNO'R T0 B. F. GUMP CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FEEDING- .cfa-'Application filed December To all whom 'it ma concern.'

Be it known t at I, EMILl R. DRAVER, a citiien of the United States, residing at the city of Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Agitators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machinery for uniformly feeding material to devices which are used for grinding, mixing or blending diverse materials `or qualities thereof, such as grain, food materials such as flour or coffee, and feed stuffs for live stock. The object thereof is to create a uniform and regular flow of material to the feed regulating mechanism and prevent impaction or cloggin of the materials in their progress to the eed regulator. g

The principles of my invention are illustrated in the drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a front view of my device as applied to a plurality of feed regulators. Flg. 2 and Fig. 3 are respectively sectional views on the lines 24-2 and 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Further describing my invention' with ref erence to the drawings in which like characters of reference denote like part-s throughout; 1 represents a plurality of feed regulators of the general `character illustrated in my Patent No. 1,307 ,349, having arotatable drum 2 with pockets by the rotation of which the flow of material is measured. 3 represents a mixing trough adapted to receive the discharges from the different feed regulators and tomix them by means of the interrupted screw conveyor 4. A, B and C are hoppers'to which material to be mixed is conducted and held fon gradual delivery to the feed regulator. But the bulk and weight of the mass may cause the material to become impacted and .thus the free flow thereof to thefeeder be interfered with or prevented.

To prevent such cloggingA of `material in the hopper I provide a stirring element which, as I prefer to construct it, consists o f a vertically reciprocating` 'od 5 within the hopper having a multiplicity of projections 4such as the cross-pins 6. The upper end of said rod is swingingly suspended at 7 .on'the arm 8 which passes through the hopper wall 9 and is pivoted at 10 upon i bracket 11. Said arm may also be carried AGITATOR.

16, 1921. Serial N0. 522,747.

beyond the pivot to form an integral arm or extension 8.

I have thus far described my invention with reference to the application thereof to the hoppcr'designated as A in Fig. 1. It is clear that when reciprocating motion is lgiven to the stirrer rod the material in the opper will be kept in a loosened condition adjacent to the rod, such condition extending outwardly therefrom according to the character and consistency of the material inthe hopper. To overcome a possibility of the material in the hopper becoming clogged at points laterally removed from the normal operating zone of the stirrer rod With a result that` only the material in the said zone will be fed into the feed regulator 1 and that the 'stirrer rod will continue to'operate 1n this cleared space, the said stirrer is illustrated in the right hand hopper of Fig.

1 designated as B. A rock-shaft 15 mounted in bearings 16 is provided with a plurality of rocker arms 17 extending through openings 18' in the front wall of the hopper 9 and corresponding in unumber to the number of stirrer rods which lare pivoted to the free end of said arms 17.

As a means of givin reciprocating motion to the arms 8 and 1 and thereby to the stirring rods attached to them I provide a rock shaft 20 journaled at 21 on the hopper wallV 9,- and having outwardly projecting arms '22, the extrem/ities of which are attached by connecting rods 23 to `the corresponding extremities of the arms 8 and 24. The said rock-shaft 20 .is actuated by any convenient means, as by ari arm 26 to the free end of which is attached a pitman rod 27. The said pitman rodl is given reci rocating .motion by the crank 28 rotate by shaft 29 and driven by belt 30.

The action of the stirring rods 5 may be modified by providing lower arms 22 with openings 22 by means of which the pivotal relation of the lower ends ofthe connecting rods 23 thereto may 'be varied, and similar provision for adjustment may be made by forming similar openings inthe vupper arms, 8 and 24.-.

A hood or cover 33 on the inside of the hopper adjacent to and over the inwardly projecting arms 8 and 17 prevents the sifting of material through the openings 18 through which the said arms are passed.

I have represented the stirring device in my invention as a rigid rod with cross-pins. It is clear, however,7 that many variations of the same may be used both rigid. and

" flexible for attachment to the actuating arm 'dependent upon `the class and character of thematerial to be fed and the effect thereon which it isdesrcd to produce.

I claim:

1. In a feeding agitator, the combination with a hopper` of a pair of rock shafts joui'- naled extcriorly 'of said hopper, mechanical means for operating one of said shafts, an1

:ii-ni rigidly carried iby each shaft and projecting laterally of said hopper, a rod connecting said arms for operatively connecting said shafts, said hopper having a slot, an arni rigidly carried by one of said shafts and irojecting through said slot into said hopper, and a stirrer pivotally connected to the last mentioned arm and adapted to be sivingingly reciprocated by the aforementioned elements.

2. In a feeding agitator, the combination with a hopper, of a pair of rock shafts jouriialed cxtcriorly of said hopper. mechanical means for operatingl one of said shafts, an arm rigidly carried by each shaft and projecting laterally of said hopper, a rod adjustably connecting said arms for operatively connecting said shafts, said lioppr having a slot, an arm rigidly carried by o e of said shafts and projecting through said slot into said hopper, and a stirrer pivotally connected tothe last. mentioned arm and adapted to be swingingly reciprocated by the aforementioned elements.

3. In a feeding agitator, the combination with a hopper, of a pair of rock shafts journaled -exteriorly 4of said hopper, mechanical means for operating one of said shafts, an arm having a series of openings rigidly carried by each shaft and projecting laterally of said hopper, a rod pivotally connecting said arms and adjustable in respect thereto 'by means of said o cniiigs, said rod operatively connecting said shafts, an arm rigidly carried by one of said shafts and projecting intosaid hopper, and a stirrer pivotally connected to the free end of the last inentioned arm and adapted to be swingingly reciprocated by the aforementioned element.

et. In a feeding agitator, the combination with a vertical hop er having a plurality of slots,fof apair o horizontal rock shafts jouriialed exteriorly of said hopper, an arm having a series of openings rigidly carried by each shaft and projecting laterally of said hopper, a rod pivotally connecting said arms and adjustable in respect thereto by means of said open'ings, a plurality of arms rigidly carried 'by one of said shafts and projecting into said hopper through said slots` a hood carried by said hopper for preventing loss of material through said slots. and a stirrer pivotally connected to the free end of cach of the last mentioned arms and adapted to be sivingingly reciprocatcd within said hopper,

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 14th day of December, 1921.

' EMIL R. DRAVER. 

